Adam Platt on Ellabess; Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite on the Falafel Boom

In this week’s New York, Adam Platt visits Ellabess, inside the Nolitan Hotel, which at first resembles “another restaurant bound for the boom-time-hotel scrap heap.” Things change when the food arrives, however: “roasted sweetbreads garnished nicely with a tangy medley of cherries, pickled cucumbers, and chopped almonds”; “elegant,” “New Age” salmon tartare with pine nuts; “plump, well-sizzled” Gulf shrimp; and “decorous” fried chicken. It all adds up to a one-star review.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t noticed, there’s a falafel boom afoot. The Robs catalogue the various chickpea-orb classifications, from raw (served at One Lucky Duck) to DIY (Maoz) to the flavored versions turned out at Taim. For something lighter, Rob and Robin also weigh in on the grape tomato, a firm-fleshed specimen that’s ideal for a risotto fresco. Speaking of light, model Samantha Xu and dancer Ashley Bouder document their respective calorie intakes in a day — ladies might want to consider eating a falafel.